These
two teams had faced off in Gainesville on Sept. 11, with the Gators taking a
5-0 win. Florida Head Coach Becky Burleigh knew that margin of victory
was unlikely for this second go-around with so much on the line.

“I’ve
known Jim Blakenship (FGCU head coach) for a long time and have coached against
him forever,” Burleigh said. “I knew he wasn’t happy with their performance
here in Gainesville the first time, and knew they would come back harder this
go round.”

For
the Eagles, it was their first NCAA Division I post-season appearance – not
only for the soccer team, but for the entire FGCU athletic program. The FGCU
program received official notice on Aug. 11 that it is now a NCAA Division I
program after waiting out the four-year DI transition period.

Florida
knew it needed to be prepared for its opening round match against a motivated
opponent who was making program history. There were some game aspects focused
on in this week’s practices and Burleigh liked that the Gators were able to
show results from that devoted training time in today’s match.

“For
us, the main objective going into tonight was to advance, and we did that, so
that was all good,” Burleigh said. “Probably more important than that for us
though, was to start off this post season doing some of these things that we
really emphasize – bringing a strong defensive presence and executing when we
can offensively. Two of the three goals were set pieces. Those were some things
we spent time on, both offensively and defensively. Moving onto the next round
was our goal, and we did that.”

Tahnai
Annis
headed in the Gators first goal in the 16th minute. Florida was
awarded a corner kick and Erika Tymrak sent in the ball to the far post.
Junior Holly King came flying in and got a head on the ball but it
deflected up and back to Tymrak located on the end line. She let the ball
bounce twice and then took a touch away from the end line before sending a
right-footed cross into the box. The ball found the diving head of Annis,
located at the top of the six-yard box, and she scored at the far post corner.

Annis
saw Tymrak eying her options so she knew she needed to get in a spot where she
could make a play on the ball.

“I
was just trying to get in the best possible position to get a touch on it,” Annis
said. “I was trying to separate myself from a defender so that Erika Tymrak
could find me.”

Another
set piece and another header for Annis put the Gators up 2-0 at the 68th
minute. Tymrak was fouled by FGCU’s Brittany Burt on the top edge of the Eagles
defensive third. Annie Speese’s left-footed service found the head of
Annis in the middle of the box and she redirected the ball into the far post
corner for her ninth goal of the season, which stands second on the team.

Free
kicks get a lot of time in training, Speese said, and what she is told during
those sessions ran through her mind before the strike.

“We
put a lot of work into that at every practice. Vic (Campbell, UF Associate
Coach) always tells me to put it on the top of the six and drive it in there,”
Speese said. “Tahnai did a great job getting in there.”

Saturday’s
performance was Annis’ eighth double-goal match of her career and third of the
season.

Senior
Lindsay Thompson completed Florida’s scoring with a header off the run
of play in the 80th minute. The Gators were moving the ball quickly
between players located at the middle of the field and the right sideline. When
King had the ball in the middle, she saw Speese open at the top of the Eagles
defensive third. Speese had space and time to move forward and then right. The
ball she sent between two defenders found Annis just outside the corner of the
box. Annis sent a ball to the far post, where Thompsonheaded it in for
her fourth goal of the season.